Ventilator for closed cars



July 31, 1928. 1,678,748

L. R. SMITH VENTILATOR FOR CLOSED CARS Filed Oct. 17, 1927 Kean 1?. Smilffi.

Patented July 31', 1928.

' PATENT OFFICE.

LEON RANSOM SMITH, OF ENGLEWOOD, COLORADO.

VENTILATOR r012, cLosEn cans.

' Application filed October 17 1927. SeriaLNo. 225,805.

This invention ielates to improvements in ventilators for closed cars.

. The closed automobile has become very popular, but experience has shown that 5 when the windows are closed, the air very duced which is highly objectionable and disagreeable.

It is the object of this invention to produce a ventilator of a simple and cheap construction that can be readily applied in the window openings and which will cooperate with the movable glass to form a closure for the ,opening which shall be provided with openings so arranged that a positive but gentle circulation of air will beomaintained whenever the car is in operation.

This invention, briefly described, consists of two metal plates that are provided with longitudinally extending openings that are formed by having a portion of the metal pressed outwardly so as-to produce passageways through which the air may flow. One of these plates is secured in the window opening between the felt lining of the 5 groove in which the glass slides and the outer wall of the groove and the other of which is secured in corresponding position on the inside of the felt lining. The openings in the inner plate open 1n an upward 40 direction while the openings in the outer plate open in a downward direction. The

lower edges of these plates are provided with felt strips that are so positioned that they engage the inner and outer surfaces of the glass when the latter is moved up into position between the plates. When the glass is in position with its upper edge projecting a short distance between the lower edges of the plates, air will be permitted to flow through the openings in the plate from the interior to the exterior of the car.

Having t us briefly explained the invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail'and reference for this purpose will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment has been illustrated and in which: J Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing my ventilator plates applied in place inthe window opening of an automobile door;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22, Fig. 1; n Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33, Fig.

2; and

.Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion 65 of one of my improved ventilating plates.

In the drawing numeral 1 represents the frame of the door and 2 the movable glass .whlch serves to close the window opening with which the upper end of the door is provided. The side and top members of the door are provided with grooves 3 which have a felt lining 4. The glass 2 is located between the two sides of the felt lining and a door is usually provided with some suit- '1 able means for raising and lowering the glass plate. The means by which the glass plate is raised and lowered will not be de-' scribed as it has nothing to do with the present invent-ion.

In carrying out my invention I have provided two plates 5 and 5. which are identical with one minor exception to which attention will hereinafter be called. These plates are of such length that they canbe inserted into the window opening and have their ends projecting into the grooves 3 between the wall of the groove and the adjacent side of the felt lining in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. After; these plates have been inserted they are moved upwardly so that the upward edge abuts the bottom of the horizontal groove in the transverse member 60f the door frame. These plates are provided with openings which have been formed by cutting the material for a distance of two or three inches in a direction parallel with the sides of the plate. A portion of the material is then pressed out-- wardly so as to form a curved wall 7, whose edge 8 is spaced from .the corresponding edge 9 of the plate in the manner shown in openings in which the openings are sta gered with respect to each other in the manner quite clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. The plate that is to be used against the outer edge of the groove 3 has the edge below the openings outwardly inclined inthe manner "indicatedby numeral and bent back on vexception that the outwardly inclined itself. A felt strip 11 is clamped between est the openings is located on the opposite side of the plate so that when plate 5 is put in place with the felt strip 11 extending 31011;; its lower edge, the openings will open in an upward direction in the manner shown quite clearly in Fig. 2. These plates are held in place by friction as they are very light and can therefore be put into place and removed without the useof any tool. WVhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2-

with the glassplate projecting a short distance upwardly beyond the felt strips 10, air can pass outwardly from the car through the openings in the direction of the arrows.

. When the car is moving there is always a stream of air flowingrearwardly from the front of the car towards the back, even when the car is passing in the same directionas the air is blowing for the'reason that in nearly every case the speed of the automobile is greater'than the rate at which the air is moving. This rearward flow of air over the openings in the outer plate, produces a suction that tends .to cause air to move outwardly from the interior of the car. This suction is gentle, however, with the result that no strong air currents are set .up within the car, but it produces a sulficient movement of the air to keep the interior of the car constantly supplied with. fresh air.

Owing to the fact that the sides -7 are downwardly inclined on the outer plate, rain or v snow will not penetrate as this nearly always comes at a very steep downward angle and therefore has no opportunity to pass upwardly through the openings.

The fact that the corresponding openings on the. inner side open upwardly facilitates the removal of the vitiated air which nearly always lies adjacent to the top.

Inv extrgmel cold weather or at any other time when it is desirable to close the car as tightly as possible, the glass may be projected upwardly into the upper transverse groove 3 and will therefore close the passageway through the ventilator so that the car body will beclosed in the same manner as it would be if my ventilator was not in place.

From the above it will be apparent that I have produced a very simple yentilator that can be readily applied to the window openings of automobiles and which will permit a gradual circulation of the air whenever the. car is in motion. These ventilating plates are so constructed that they are held in place by friction alone and therefore can be applied and removed without the use of special tools. Having described claimed as new is:

1. In a member having a window opening I provided with grooves along thesides and top, a felt lining strip for each side of the groove and a glass slidable in the grooves, a

ventilator consisting 'of two sheet metal plates having each a plurality of openings,

one of said sheets being located on each.

the, invention what is grooves between the felt strips, a ventilator consisting of two sheet metal plates having each a plurality of louvers extending longitudinally, one of said sheets being located on each side of. the groove between the felt strip and the side of the groove whereby a,

space is provided between the metal strips into which the top of the glass closure may be projected.

3. In a member having a window opening provided with grooves along the sides and top, afelt lining strip for each side of the groove, and a glass closure slidable in the grooves between the felt strips, a ventilator consisting of two sheet metal plates having each a plurality of louvers extending 1ongi tudinally, one of said sheets being located on each side of the groove between the felt strip and the side of the-groove whereby a space is provided between the metal "strips into which the top of the glass closure may be projected, the lower edge of each of the metal plates having a felt strip secured to it, said felt strip extending inwardly into the space between the plates so as to contact with the glass closure. 4. In a memherha-ving a window openin provided with grooves along the sides an across the top, a strip of felt extending along each side of the groove and a glass closure slidable in the grooves between the felt strips, a ventilator comprising two elongated metal plates, one being located on each side of the oove between the groove suriace and the adjacent felt strip, each of said.

plates having a plurality of elongated openings formed by making cuts and pressing the metal along one side of each cut outthe felt strips bein located on the inside so wardly, whereby openings are formed that as to contact with t e glass closure when the lie in a plane substantially perpendicular-to latter is moved into position between the 10 the plane of the plate, the openings in the plates. I

outside plate opening downwardly and those In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

in the inside plate upwardly and a felt strip. A secured to each plate along the lower edge, LEON RANSOM SMITH. 

